


This Could All Go So Wrong (But We're So Happy)

by donniedont



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25639651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donniedont/pseuds/donniedont
Summary: Dimitri recalls a moment from Dedue and his academy days.  Dedue can't imagine why.  A fic written for Rest Day zine.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	This Could All Go So Wrong (But We're So Happy)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally posting this fic from Rest Day! It was an amazing project I had the honor of leading that resulted in a wonderful donation to Feeding America. I hope you enjoy this contribution!

Dedue pinched the bridge of his nose. He had spent the past half hour reading through an itinerary Dimitri had written up for their next visit to Duscur. As much as he loved his husband’s attention to detail, his eyes were becoming strained after going through several pages, most of which ending with Dimitri’s handwriting becoming impossibly tiny. 

He looked up, glancing at Dimitri. He was slouched over, writing what appeared to be a letter. Although neither of them enjoyed paperwork, Dedue learned to appreciate these moments. He loved watching Dimitri lost in thought, his nose scrunched up as he concentrated on the paper in front of him.

Dimitri put his pen down, sitting up and trying to stretch, his hands at the small of his back as he tilted his head back. He made a soft grunt, leaning again.

“I think we should take a break,” Dedue suggested.

Dimitri looked up, his eye needing a moment to focus on him. He sighed, shaking his head. “May I complete this correspondence?”

Dedue couldn’t help but smile. It took many years and tense conversations, but Dimitri was beginning to earnestly identify his own limits. He still needed nudging from others, but it was progress that Dedue held dear.

Dedue watched Dimitri complete the letter, trying to not wince at the contorted position he found himself in. He kept his distance even though the tips of his fingers buzzed with the temptation to drape his arms along Dimitri’s waist. 

Dimitri signed the bottom of the document, placing it neatly on the pile before he turned to face Dedue. They stared at each other for a long moment before Dimitri slid out of his chair and brought it toward Dedue. Dedue laughed fondly, adjusting himself so Dimitri could sit in his lap. He hooked his arms along Dedue’s neck, pressing his face close to his cheek. Dedue slipped his arm under Dimitri’s legs and the other along his back, holding him in place. 

The two of them stayed in place, Dedue content to listen to Dimitri’s breathing. It used to be a desperate desire to hear Dimitri’s breathing. It was a terrifying want, to know that the man he loved was alive and could not be pulled away from him again. He was glad that the longing was no longer throbbing within him. 

Dimitri shifted, somehow able to knee Dedue in the stomach. Dedue grunted, Dimitri sitting up and yelping before he said, “Oh! Oh no, are you all right, my love?” He brought his hand to Dedue’s cheek, his eye wide with concern.

“I-I’m fine,” Dedue said, swallowing back a laugh. He brought his hand to the small of Dimitri’s back, rubbing circles against him. It was tempting to remind Dimitri that this had happened before and would most likely happen many times again. For someone who was trained to be a warrior seemingly since birth, his coordination appeared to go out the window when he no longer was holding a lance. Dedue was content to be winded every once in awhile if it meant that he was able to spend a future with Dimitri, one where he never had to see his partner’s hair caked with blood or so much hate in him that his body shook ever again.

This Dimitri was alive, his eye bright and his hair in a crooked braid, because he insisted on styling his hair this morning. This Dimitri leaned in, Dedue following his lead into him for a soft kiss, Dedue unable to resist taking over with long, languid kisses. This Dimitri refused to say that he was healed, but could concede that he was better than those horrid wartorn days that they survived together. 

Dimitri pulled back, running his fingers over his braided hair. Dedue couldn’t help but stare at the band on his ring finger, unable to resist checking his own as a sign of confirmation that they were indeed wed. 

“You’ll never believe what I’ve had on my mind all day,” Dimitri said.

Dedue shook his head, unable to resist smirking. “Why don’t you try me,” he said wryly.

Dimitri laughed before he said, “The White Heron Cup.”

Dedue winced. “I cannot say that I would have ever guessed that you would think about that,” he said, feeling his cheeks warm up. 

“It’s strange,” Dimitri said, “I remember more of it than I thought I would. Perhaps it speaks to how my love for you has been ever present, well before I truly realized it.”

Dedue winced. “I suppose my attempts at dancing are memorable enough,” he mumbled.

Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed before he shook his head. “Those were not attempts,” he pointed out. He brought his hands toward the base of Dedue’s hand. Dedue found himself involuntarily leaning in toward Dimitri’s touch. “Do you forget that you won?”

Dedue took a deep breath. He couldn’t argue that he won, though he still had little to no explanation as to how it happened. Even now he could remember how his competition twirled around him. He could recall with ease how beautiful Marianne looked when she raised her head toward the light and how Dorothea’s wrists bent so elegantly. They were respectful competition, their professor able to convince them to join the Blue Lions before things truly fell apart at Garreg Mach. They were allies now. He occasionally received letters from Dorothea, who happily followed Petra to Brigid when the war ended and Marianne visited frequently, in print as the queen of Almyra and off record as a close friend, impressive considering the distance between her home and Fhirdiad. 

Even with the eventual friendships he was able to foster between his competitors, he couldn’t help but think about how mortified he felt when the professor told him that he was to compete in the Cup. Even when he figured out the choreography he felt too large, too lumbering for the precise movements. He wondered for years if he had won out of pity. He knew it was one of those things he would never quite know the answer to.

“It’s hard to forget when the professor made me fight in that outfit afterwards,” Dedue noted. “Why ever would you think about that?”

“I am unsure,” Dimitri admitted, “I just remembered how beautifully you danced that night and how it’s been years since I have seen you move in such a way.”

“Beautifully…” Dedue whispered, “What could possibly be beautiful…”

Dimitri smacked his lips against Dedue’s. He broke the kiss with a pop, pressing his forehead against Dedue’s before he said, “My apologies. I could sense you were going to put yourself down and I needed to put an end to it.”

Dedue frowned, even if he couldn’t deny that the gesture made his stomach flip. “While we may agree to disagree about that event, we can both agree that there is no way that I have remembered that choreography.”

“Could you humor me and try?” Dimitri asked. He pouted the slightest bit and Dedue sighed. Dimitri had no idea that he was so effective at it and perhaps it was for the best.

Dedue leaned in and kissed Dimitri before he slid his arms toward Dimitri’s thighs. Dimitri read his body language expertly, tightening his grip around Dedue’s neck. Dedue got up, unable to resist holding Dimitri for several moments, swaying from side to side as if he would be able to get away with that, fulfilling his requirement to dance. Dimitri had caught on, beginning to side out of Dedue’s grip. Dedue helped him down, eyeing Dimitri suspiciously.

“I didn’t really learn how to dance with a partner,” Dedue explained, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Oh!” Dimitri exclaimed, “I suppose that’s true…” He began to shuffle toward his chair.

Dedue shook his head. “I didn’t… I could try,” he said. 

“If you are certain,” Dimitri said.

Dedue nodded. He placed his foot in front of himself, bending it slightly before he brought his hands out. Dimitri emulated him, his arms not quite extended as far, but bringing his head back far enough that his neck was exposed, creating elegant lines he knew were not even intended as such.

“I think I had to… do this…” Dedue said, reaching his arms off before he twirled around. Dimitri joined him, their arms bonking into each other. Dedue winced as Dimitri laughed, spinning around a second time before he stopped.

“And then… this, perhaps?” Dedue asked, mostly to himself. He brought his arms over his head, twirling his hands together. Dimitri was content to attempt to follow him, his hands flapping in an awkward way that was so endearing Dedue had no interest in correcting him. 

“And then you bend down, right?” Dimitri asked.

Dedue blinked several times, still maintaining his pose. “I am somewhat convinced that this might be the only piece of choreography you remember.”

Dimitri’s ducked his head away, a blush spreading from his cheeks toward his ears nearly immediately. “Not at all!” he exclaimed, “I simply…” He cleared his throat, “I just… as I said, my feelings toward you were deeper than I realized!”

Dedue snorted, bending over as slowly as he could. 

Dimitri took a deep breath. His face was still unrelentingly red.

“Will you join me?” Dedue asked. 

Dimitri nodded his head, locking eyes with Dedue briefly before he followed his movements. Dedue tried to keep his head turned toward Dimitri as long as he could. Dimitri struggled with lifting himself up, giving a strained expression as he got up. 

“Your back isn’t acting up, is it?” Dedue asked.

“I’m wondering if I should have stretched a bit before I suggested it,” he grumbled. He paused for a moment before he attempted the dance move again. 

Dedue eyed him suspiciously. He knew that there was only one dance move left, so he hoped that they were almost done. He returned to the pose and moved forward, careful to avoid hitting Dimitri in the process. Dimitri carefully mirrored him, keeping his arm motions even smaller, though they ended up with little space between the two of them.

“We should go through it one more time,” Dimitri suggested.

“Yes, I agree,” Dedue replied.

They went through the dance again, the movements somewhat out of place without music. Dedue didn’t care and from what he could tell, Dimitri was similarly unbothered. Dedue started going through the choreography another time and Dimitri joined him, underestimating how big of a step he was taking when he finished it, bumping into Dedue. Dedue took it as a chance to bring his arms around him, embracing him close. 

Dedue allowed himself to pause for a moment. He listened to Dimitri’s breathing again and an urgency consumed him and could only be calmed down by saying, “I love you,” and holding Dimitri even tighter.

Dimitri attempted to poke his head out from Dedue’s grasp, smiling brightly before he said, “I love you, too.” He lowered his head, pressing his face against Dedue’s body before he said, “I think we have to end this break.”

“You are correct,” Dedue said. He remembered the document that he had not even finished reading before he was going on a break. As deep as his love was for Dimitri, he admittedly had a part of him that was never quite satisfied. There was still so much work to be done and while he was determined to make sure Dimitri and he did not become overburdened, he knew that they had to resume their paperwork. 

Dimitri eased himself out of Dedue’s arms, grabbing Dedue’s hand as they returned to their desks. Dedue sat down and Dimitri yanked, Dedue’s eyes wide as he grabbed his chair. Dimitri’s eyes went wide as Dedue carefully brought his chair closer, keeping their hands linked as he picked up his document. Dimitri squeezed his hand, seemingly determined to not let go unless he absolutely needed to.


End file.
